Dry shaver



E. C. HALL lDRY SHAVER July 8, 1947.

Filed Aug. 29, 1944 INVENTOR. 70642 C /KQLL BY ,4770

Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- DRY sHAvER Edgar C.Hall, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 29, 1944, Serial No. 551,646

(Cl. Sli- 43) Claims.

This invention relates to electrically operated razors which arecommonly referred to as dry shavers, because they need no lather orother beard softening agents to effect shaving operations. An object isto provide a dry shaver which includes cutters, arranged for continuousrotation rather than for oscillation or vibration, as is customary withother types of shavers.

My invention contemplates the provision of a dry shaver having aplurality of coaxial arcuate blades or cutters rotatably mountedrelative to a non-rotatable blade, so that successively adjacent cuttersof the series will progressively cooperate with the stationary bla-defor cutting the beard of a user, as the shaver is moved over the face.

An object, also, is to provide a shaving mechanism in which therotatable cutters of identical form, are cut away or recessed so as toprovide corresponding cutting edges and concentric arcuate portions inorder that when certain of the cutting edges are operatively engagedwith the stationary blade and in cutting position, other cutters will beinoperative and their arcuate peripheries will be as close to the ileshas possible, and will serve to prevent cutting of the flesh of a user.Preferably the cutters are so arranged on a common axis that no twoadjacent cutters can cut at the same instant, and each cutter isdisposed, with respect to alternating cutters from the rst to the nalcutter of the series, so that the alternating cutters are progressivelyoperative. For instance, the odd numbered cutters have their cuttingedges successively engageable with the stationary blade, while the evennumbered cutters each has its cutting edge diametrically disposed withrespect to the edge of the respectively adjacent odd numbered cutter andalso progressively mounted.

It is an object to form the rotary shaver by the employment of aplurality of flat metal discs mounted on a common axis and so arrangedand formed as to constitute each disc as a separate cutting element,together with means for commonly operating all of the cutters.

A further object is to provide a reversible stationary blade cooperatingwith the rotary cutters and provided on one margin with a straightcutting edge disposed over the peripheries of the rotary discs and onits opposite margin with a notched cutting edge for use particularly incutting long hairs.

Still other objects include: means for conveniently mounting theoperative parts of the shaver on a convenient; handle within which ishoused a suitable motor and driving means, and means 2 for detachablymounting the stationary cutter. Other objects may appear as thedescription progresses.

With the aforesaid objects in View, I have shown, in the annexeddrawing, a preferred form of shaver embodying my improvements, subject,however, to modication, within the scope of the appended claims, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawing: f

Fig. l is a perspective View of a rotary dry shaver embodying myimprovements;

Fig, 2 is a sectional elevation of the same on a median Vertical linecutting the axis of the cutters;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pair of detached rotary cutterscoaxially alined in operative position, as shown in `Fig. 2

Fig, 6 is a fragmentary view of the cutter head showing the stationaryblade reversed from the position of the same as seen in Fig. 1; and

Fig'. '7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Briey described, my shaver embodies a housing A forming a handle bymeans of which the device may be held for use, a bracket B attached tothe upper end of the housing and forming a support for a cutting head C,a friction driving wheel D mounted within housing A and a motor Malsowithin said housing for rotating wheel D. Member B is preferably ofintegral form for mounting cutter head C, wheel D and the elements ofmotor M and is arranged to be slidably inserted in and withdrawn fromhousing A, as well as adjustable in the housing, as will hereinafterappear. To such end bracket B has outwardly and upwardly extended endportions I and 2 forming a support for the cutter head and in which ashaft 3 is journalled. Immediately adjacent the inner sides of portionsI and 2, I provide circular discs 4 and 5, respectively, and betweensaid discs 4 and 5 I provide a plurality of thin, similar cutting discs6, 6, etc., which are closely tted together on shaft 3 and all of thediscs 4, 5, and 6 are suitably xed to the shaft as by means of a pressedt or key. y

Discs 6 have arcuate peripheral surfaces 1 which are concentric withtheir shaft 3, cutting edges 8 which extend in a common direction fromrecesses 9 and radial edge portions l0. As shown, particularly in Figs.3 and 5, each adjacent pair of cutting discs 6 when operativelypositioned on shaft 3, have their radial edges I disposed substantiallyon diametrical lines with the cutting edges 8 projecting in oppositedirections from such line. Hence, as shown in Fig. 5, the recesses 9 indiscs E are of less extent than one-half of the peripheries and the gapsin the entire cutter are closed by alternating discs so that the cuttingedges can at no time damage the skin of a user. Of course, the discs arevery thin and each cutting edge is protected by the two oppositeperipheral portions 'I.

Overlying the discs S I provide a reversible stationary cutter II ofarcuate cross section and having a single continuous cutting edge I2paralleling the axis of shaft 3 and on its opposite margin, a toothedguard I3 with spaced cutting edges I4 at the roots of the guard teethand adapted to be alined with and to overlie the discs 6 when the edgesI 4 are used as for cutting long hairs. Cutter II is held in positionwith one marginal portion I2 or I3 overlying a bar I5 which is integralwith or attached to and spans the distance between the ends I and 2 ofbracket B, while the intermediate portion thereof is frictionally heldbeneath a longitudinal bar I 6 which is hinged at I1 to a radial arm I8extended from an end of bracket B. Bar I6 is detachably connected at I9by any suitable means to the extremity of a radial arm formed on the endof bracket B opposite its hinged connection Il'. Blade Il is formed withperforations 2I in which lugs 22 on bar I6 seat (Fig. 4) for holding theblade against displacement.

Opposite the cutting edge of blade I I, I provide a guard 23 of arcuatecross section which is a part of bracket B and connects, as by means ofradial arms 22, with ends I and 2 of said bracket, said guard havingteeth 25 arranged to hold the skin of a user against the possibility ofdamaging the skin as the cutters rotate in a clockwise direction, asshown in Fig. 3. It may be understood that the cutting edge I2 of bladeI I and the teeth of the guard 23 are relatively disposed and spaced soas to provide only a necessary contact with the face of a User and areas thin as possible so that the face of a user may be shaved as closelyas possible without injury.

I provide a frame E having sides 25 and 25 and a bottom 21 which isextended downwardly into housing A so as to provide a mounting for motorM and driving wheel D. Wheel D is carried on a shaft 28 which isjournalled in sides 25 and 26 of the bracket. An armature 29 is xed toshaft 28 as is also wheel D and for the sake of convenience, saidarmature is housed within the hollow wheel. Motor M has a field coil 30and pole pieces 3l and 3'.l extended therefrom upwardly around the rim33 of wheel D and thence into the wheel for proper relationship witharmature 29, as shown. Or, if desirable, the eld and armature of themotor may be incorporated in wheel D to the same effect as inconventional electric motors` Wheel D has a frictional driving band 34adapted to engage the peripheries of certain of the cutting discs 6whereby continuous rotation of all of the axially connected discs may beeffected.

At the bottom of housing A, I arrange an adjusting screw 35 which isthreaded through the bottom 36 of the housing and has a head 31 by meansof which said screw may be turned at will. The upper end of screw 35engages the bottom 2'I of frame E and serves to adjust the frame E,motor M and wheel D upwardly in the housing to a desired extent forestablishing driving engagement between the wheel and the cutters 6, orwhen retracted, the screw permits the disengagement of the wheel fromthe cutters. It is well known that in motor operated dry Shavers, it isnearly always necessary to start the motor by manual effort. Hence, inmy shaver, the release of the wheel D from the cutters 6 will eliminateretardation of the motor by reason of the friction between the wheel andcutters, after which, by again tightening the screw to a desirableextent, after momentum is established, the shaver will be in conditionfor use. Additionally, I provide on the side of the housing A, adjacentthe web 38 of wheel D, an arcuate aperture 39 through which a finger maybe inserted for contact with web 38 and the rotation of the Wheelinitiated.

Adjusting nut 35 may have a central passage 40 through which an electriccord 4I may be extended for connection with a source of current.

In operation, when the motor is energized, current flows through theconductors of cord 4I to the fieldV coil 39 of the motor and thearmature 29 is excited by prevailing magnetic action of pole pieces 3Iand 32, thus tending to rotate the armature and also wheel D which arefixed for rotation together. Assuming that the band 34 of wheel D isdrivingly engaged with the peripheries of cutters 5, the adjusting nut35 is slightly loosened and the rotation of the wheel is initiated byapplying a finger through aperture 39 to web 3B of the wheel, whereuponthe nut 35 is sutilciently tightened to afford a good driving connectionwith the cutters and the rotation of the bank of cutters at a high speedis effected. The shaver is then applied to the face of a user in acustomary manner, as shown in Fig. 3, with only sufcient pressureagainst the skin S so as to insure the cutting of the hairs H at pointsbetween the stationary cutting blade and the progressively operativecutting edges 8 of cutters 6. The cuttings of hair will be thrownoutwardly from the cutter head as the cutters rotate. If extraordinarilylong hairs are to be cut, the blade II may be reversed so that cuttingedges I4 will assume the position of the edge I2 as shown in Fig. 3. Thecutting edges I4 are especially adaptable for cutting hair around theears or back of the neck of a user.

The mounting of the shaving unit in a manner so that the cutter head andoperating mechanisrn may be separately detached and the latter adjustedfor the purpose of starting the motor and compensating for wear of thedriving wheel band, is a particular advantage and reduces the cost ofmaintenance and inconveniences irequently encountered in the use ofother types of dry Shavers.

The stationary blade II is of thin cross section and therefore has moreor less resiliency, at least to an extent suflicient to retain it in itsmountings while yet permitting its reversal with facility.

As hereinbefore stated, the cutters 6 are arranged in two seriesconsisting of the odd numbered and the even numbered cutters, each ofwhich series is so disposed on and xed to shaft 3 than when consideredin order, numerically, from the rst to the nal cutter of each series,the opera-tion of each cutter is slightly behind that of the precedingcutter, and the cutting edges of immediately adjacent cutters are spacedapartl to an extent of degrees, as Iare also the arcuate portionsthereof. Thus, the cutters being thin, there is no possibility ofcutting the skin of a user.

The essence of this invention, therefore, is in the provision of a dryshaver embodying a cutting head composed of a plurality of continuouslyrotatable cutters of similar form and so arnanged that while alternatecutters are operative, the others will be inoperative, a relativelyiixed cutter blade, and a motor operated frictional driving meiansapplied to a,k unit composed of discs rigidly connected for simultaneousrotation.

However, in the consideration of my invention attention is called tocertain outstanding characteristics without which it could not operateas Well, to-wit: The stationary blade I I is of arcuate cross sectionand thin enough to provide a degree of tension and flexibility so thatWhen applied either as shown in Fig. l or Fig. 6 it will be tensioned inposition by means of bar I5 and its straight cutting edge I2 or itstoothed edge I4 will closely overlie the peripheries of the rotarycutters. In this connection, also, it should be understood that thecutting edge I2 is very thin and is ground only on its outer side inorder that the blade may cut as close to the skin as possible withoutinjury to the skin. Said blade is an integral device with two differentkinds or cutting edges, one on each margin thereof, is detachable,replaceab-le and reversible. The rotary cutters cut with a shearingaction as the hairs are directed into position between the rotary edges8 and the stationary edges I2 or I4, as the case may be.

Hence, in general I have provided an emcient rotary razor which issanitary, readily assembled and disassembled and economical in initialcost as well a-s in operation.

What I claim is:

1. A dry shaver comprising: a cutter head formed of a plurality ofcontinuously rotatable coaxial cutters, a relatively stationary cutterblade cooperating therewith, and means for simultaneously andcontinuously rotating said rotatable cutters relative to said stationaryblade, said means including a motor driven rotatable member havingfrictional engagement with -said rotatable cutters..

2. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a cutter head mounted thereon andincluding a plurality of coaxially mounted cutters rigidly connected asa unit and formed with diametrically opposite recessed and arcuateportions and cutting edges atcorresponding margins of said recesses,driving means in said housing including a rotatable driving memberengageable with the :arcuate portions of certain of said cutters forsimultaneously rotating the cutters, and a stationary cutter overlyingthe peripheries of said rotatable cutters.

3. A dry shaver comprising: a cutter head formed of a plurality ofcontinuously rotatable cutters, a relatively stationary cutter bladecooperating therewith, and means for simultaneously and continuouslyrotating said rotatable cutters relative to said stationary blade, saiddriving means including a frame, a motor and a cylindrical drivingelement carried by said frame, and means for selectively adjusting saidframe toward and away from said rotatable cutters.

4. A dry shaver comprising: La housing, a cutter head mounted thereonand including a plurality of coaxially mounted cutters rigidly connectedas a unit and formed with diametrically opposite recessed and arcuateportions and cutting edges at corresponding `margins of said recesses,driving means in said housing including a rotatable driving memberengageable with the arcuate portions of certain of said cutters forsimultaneously rotating the cutters, and a stationrary cutter overlyingthe peripheries of said rotatable cutters, and manually operable meansfor adjusting said driving member into and out of driving engagment withsaid rotatable cutters.

5. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a cutter head mounted thereon andincluding a plurality of coaxially mounted cutters rigidly connected asa unit and formed with diametrcally opposite recessed and arcuateportions and cutting edges at corresponding margins of said recesses,driving means in said housing including a rotatable driving memberengageable With the arcuate portions of certain of said cutters forsimultaneously rotating the cutters, and a stationary cutter overlyingthe peripheries of said rotatable cutters, said rotatable cutters beingarranged for progressive operation of the cutters.

6. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a cutter head mounted thereon andincluding a plurality of coaxially mounted cutters formed withdiametrically opposite recessed and arcuate portions and cutting edgesat corresponding margins of said recesses, driving means in said housingincluding a rotatable driving member engageable with the arcuateportions of certain of said cutters for simultaneously rotating thecutters, and a stationary cutter overlying the peripheries of saidrotatable cutters, said rotatable cutters being arranged in two seriesWith the cutters of the two series alternately movable into and f out ofcutting position.

'7. A dry shaver comprising: a housing forming a handle, a cutter headmounted thereon and composed of a plurality of substantially circularcutters rigidly connected as a unit and coaxially fixed to a commonsupporting shaft and peripherally recessed to form corresponding cuttingedges, a stationary blade having a cutting edge overlying theperipheries of said coaxial cutters, a guard also overlying said coaxialcutters, and driving means mounted in said housing and engageable withcertain of said coaxial cutters for continuously rotating said cuttersin a given direction, and manually operable means for adjusting saiddrivingmeans relative tosaid coaxial cutters.

8. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a frame bodily adjustabletherein, a power driven element carried by said frame, a cutter headmounted on said housing and including a plurality of coaxial rotatablecutting discs rigidly connected as a unit of which certain discs areperipherally engageable with said driving element for effecting thecontinuous rotation of all of said discs, and a stationary cutting bladeoverlying the peripheries of said discs and cooperating with saidcoaxial discs for cutting hair.

9. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a frame bodily adjustabletherein, a power driven element carried by said frame, a cutter headmounted on said housing and including a plurality of coaxial rotatablecutting discs rigidly connected as a unit of which certain discs areperipherally engageable with said driving element for effecting thecontinuous rotation of said discs, and a stationary cutting bladeoverlying the peripheries of said discs and cooperating with saidcoaxial discs for cutting hair, and a guard also overlying said coaxialdiscs and fixed in its position relative to said stationary blade.

10. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a

frame bodily adjustable therein, a power driven element carried by saidframe, a cutter head mounted on said housing and including a pluralityof coaxial rotatable cutting discs rigidly connested as a unit andhaving certain discs peripherally engageable with Said driving elementfor eiecting the continuous rotation of said discs, and a stationarycutting blade overlying the peripheries of said discs and cooperatingwith said coaxial discs for cutting hair, said stationary blade havingparallel straight and toothed cutting edges on opposite marginalportions thereof, and means for reversibly supporting said blade inposition for rendering either of said cutting edges operative at will.

11. In a dry shaver, a plurality of uniform rotary cutters coaxiallymounted and rigidly connected as a unit and having concentric peripheralportions :ut away to form cutting edges, and power driven means engagedwith the concentric portions of certain of said cutters forsimultaneously rotating the cutters inthe same direction.

12. In a dry shaver, a plurality of uniform rotary cutters coaxiallymounted and having concentric peripheral portions cut away to formcutting edges, and power driven means engaged with the concentricportions of certain of said cutters for simultaneously rotating thecutters together in the same direction, and a stationary cutting bladeoverlying the peripheries of the rotary cutters and cooperatingtherewith for eiecting a shaving operation.

13. A dry shaver comprising: a plurality of coaxial rotatable cuttingdisc xed for rotation as a unit, each disc having a peripheral cuttingedge formed thereon, a cooperating stationary cutting blade overlyingthe peripheries of the rotatable discs, and frictional driving meansengageablewith the peripheriesl of certain of said discs forsimultaneously rotating the discs in the same direction.

14. A dry shaver comprising: a plurality of coaxial rotatable cuttingdiscs having peripheral cutting edges formed thereon, a cooperatingstationary cutting blade overlying the peripheries of the rotatablediscs, and frictional driving means engageable with the peripheries ofsaid discs for simultaneously rotating the discs in the same direction,said discs being. arranged so that the concentric portion of any discwill be adjacent the cutting portions of respectively alternate discs.

15. A dry shaver comprising: a plurality of coaxial rotatable cuttingdiscs having peripheral cutting edges formed thereon, a cooperatingstationary cutting blade overlying the peripheries of the rotatablediscs, and frictional driving means engageable with the peripheries ofsaid discs for simultaneously rotating the discs inthe same direction,said discs having arcuate peripheral portions and arranged so that thearcuate portion of each disc will be disposed adjacent to the cuttingportions of the discs adjacent thereto.

EDGAR C. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,264,113 Ericson Nov. 25, 1.9412,333,437 Olschewski Nov. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date218,157 Switzerland Mar, 2, 1942

